Fear of the Closet Cleanse

Each time I start working with a new client I hear many of the same comments such as; “This feels so good to be going through my clothes why did I ever put this off?”, “I have been so worried about someone judging me instead of helping me go through my stuff that I’ve put it off for way too long.”, “Why did I spend so much money buying new clothes instead of just going through the ones I already own?”. These are just a sampling of the comments I hear from my clients. If you have ever been worried about someone looking through your wardrobe and judging what you own or felt so overwhelmed about the process that you go shopping and buy more things which just adds to the chaos in your closet, you are not alone! In my years working with so many different people there always seems to be three pretty distinct phases of closet cleansing fear.

Phase 1. Fear of Judgment
The thought of even trying to tackle your clothes is totally overwhelming because you know deep in your heart that this process is going to be full of tons of items that need a decision to finally be made about them and this sends you running in the other direction! For so long it had seemed easier for you to make excuses and hide behind your fear of someone judging you rather than actually allowing yourself to have someone help you with the process. Thus putting off the dreaded task again and directly adding more fuel to your excuses and procrastination.

Phase 2. Going for it:
You’ve made a conscious decision to go for it and you are being rewarded with a full- blown confidence boost! Your clothes and closet are finally getting the attention they’ve been begging you for. (You know your clothes are begging for attention, the more you dread giving it.) You’re finally digging into your wardrobe, with the help of someone who cares about you and the process, and making decisions whether to keep or toss each item.

Phase 3. Liberation and relief:
You’ve made it through each shelf, drawer and hanging item. You addressed everything head on and put it in an appropriate place. You now know exactly what you have and how to wear it along with a completely organized closet!

Ultimately each phase has it’s own unique power.
Phase 1: The power that you feel your wardrobe has over you.
Phase 2: The power you claim for yourself and your space by choosing to finally address your wardrobe and closet and/or drawers it is in.
Phase 3: The power that embodies you knowing that you’ve successfully finished this once daunting task and now have new space to breathe, move and be well dressed!